Washington (CNN) - Sen. Lindsey Graham vowed on Sunday that he would continue to block President Barack Obama's nominations until Congress hears from Benghazi survivors.

The South Carolina lawmaker told CNN's Candy Crowley on "State of the Union" that he will place holds on any nomination put forth by the administration unless it makes available five survivors of the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, who have been interviewed by State Department investigators but remain out of Congress' reach.

"I've been trying for a year to get these interviews without holds," Graham said.

Graham scoffed at any notion his maneuver amounts to political grandstanding, portraying his actions as a last resort and couching them as part of "trying to perform oversight."

"I don't want to hold anybody. All I want to do is talk to the survivors," Graham insisted. "I'm not trying to prosecute a crime."

Graham announced his intention to hold all of Obama’s nominations the day after CBS's "60 Minutes" aired a controversial report on the attacks. The newsmagazine has since pulled its report, saying that its eyewitness, a British contractor stationed in Libya, lied to reporter Lara Logan about what he saw on the ground.

When pressed by Crowley about whether the debunking of the piece would impact his stance, Graham told her it wouldn’t.
"I never asked for the British contractor. I didn't know he existed," Graham said.

soundoff(320 Responses)

Tampa Tim

Is Lindsay trying to get the VP nod from Cruz in 2016? He is getting nutty enough to run with the Cuban Messiah.

November 10, 2013 11:24 am at 11:24 am |

Anonymous

Graham "never asked for the contractor. I didn't know he existed".
---–
Of course he didn't. He couldn't let a little thing about a "lie" stand in his way. We listened to this person, and he
kept saying the same thing over and over. He interrupted Candy Crowley numerous times with his ramblings
of "what he wants to know", never actually answering her questions. Just rambling, threatening, and working
hard to save his job.
Wish he would work that hard at saving America's need for jobs, infrastructure, better schools, food for
children and families, or anyone else that doesn't have his perks. Perk Jerk, aka Lindsay Graham

November 10, 2013 11:25 am at 11:25 am |

Tampa Tim

When was the last time a republican actually did something that would help Americans?

November 10, 2013 11:25 am at 11:25 am |

don in albuquerque

Nice to see we still elect people whose only job is to keep the American government non-functional.

November 10, 2013 11:35 am at 11:35 am |

Larry in Houston

hey Lindsey, I hope you "keep holds" on everybody & anybody, all the way up to election day, in November, 2014. LOL

Graham is part of the problem. Gop party of No. The Stupid Party. Go Dems 2016

November 10, 2013 11:53 am at 11:53 am |

GOP = Greed Over People

The GOP never seems to let facts get in the way of a good bout of costing the taxpayers more money on useless optics!

The "source" the FOX bubble keeps harping has been found to be lying and his ploy to sell more of his books has been pulled by publisher, Simon and Schuster, which just happens to be subsidiary of CBS News.

It is all so very Fox News, pick a loser, who writes a book, then get face time on the parent network to peddle the book.

November 10, 2013 11:53 am at 11:53 am |

Dennis Freeman

Unbelievable!! Why try to do anything constructive when you can just obstruct and say no – and get paid for it.

The GOP just likes to keep a hold on their FAILED policies of OBSTRUCTION. Do you GOP idiots really think we want our goverment screwed up by the GOP who continue to obstruct EVERYTHING and accomplish NOTHING. !!!! The GOP will be lucky if any of them will be realected in 2014 after THEIR 24 billion loss of GDP !!!!

Maybe if the GOP didn't cut fund for security by at lesst300 million dallars, they could have responded, GOP morons with assa in charge!!!!!!

November 10, 2013 12:21 pm at 12:21 pm |

vic , nashville ,tn

Same issues raised by republicans before the election but Republicans are still sticking with those, democrats won the white house they gain seat in senate and they gain seats in the house.
Republicans are confused ,so they can’t win 2014 and 2016

November 10, 2013 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

Norma Vessels

Why, why, why is that man still in Congress!!

November 10, 2013 12:31 pm at 12:31 pm |

motorfirebox

"I don't want to hold anybody." "We don't want to shut down the government." GOP lies–that's ALL they want to do.

November 10, 2013 12:47 pm at 12:47 pm |

Jim

Republicans will keep spending as much money as that keep tell America it doesn't have beating this dead horse for no real reason.

November 10, 2013 12:47 pm at 12:47 pm |

Iam Reading

Time for someone to pull the string on his beads. He sounds backed up. I mean, I hear they feel good, but it isn't sanitary to leave them in for a year Senator.

November 10, 2013 12:48 pm at 12:48 pm |

vinster76

Hang in there Senator Graham – there is NO reason on earth you should not have access to those involved. This corrupt, lying administration needs to be held to account......Face them down..........

November 10, 2013 12:48 pm at 12:48 pm |

stevetall

Republican idiotic weasel. Enough said.

November 10, 2013 12:50 pm at 12:50 pm |

Goodbye G.O.P!

Senator Graham, you are a complete and utter disgrace. I look forward to watching your party of bigots and liars fade away into the history books.

November 10, 2013 12:50 pm at 12:50 pm |

Dave - Phx

The Republican way. I will throw a fit and pound my fists on the ground over something that NO ONE CARES ABOUT until I get my way. And people pay him a salary to do it, hilarious.

November 10, 2013 12:53 pm at 12:53 pm |

Brad76

This guy is a real fruit n' nut bar.

November 10, 2013 12:54 pm at 12:54 pm |

Allen R. Scott Msgt USAF REtired

Senator Graham you are one of the reasons Congress has about a 10% good rating. WORK FOR THE PEOPLE NOT YOUR PARTY!!!!!!!!!! Your a waste of a senate seat. I hope your state votes you OUT!!!!!!!!!

The Benghazi incident was not a coordinated assault by heavily armed assailants. It was a spontaneous group of protestors that were upset about the YouTube Video.

Along with:
You can keep your policy
You can keep your doctor
The Obama Administration did not have the IRS target political groups
The NSA is not spying on US citizens

Trust this Administration and you are truly a fool.

November 10, 2013 12:55 pm at 12:55 pm |

rs

Republicans-

I don't know if you've noticed, but by almost 80%, Americans don't like what you're doing. They didn't like the shutdown; You got hammered for voting for default and economic collapse; They don't like your ultra-radical social agenda, and; they don't like "do nothing".

So, what are you doing? You are selecting ever more Rightward candidates; Attacking civil rights and especially women's rights; and you continue to allow Senators like Mr. Graham to "do nothing".